MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Despite playing with just seven available student-athletes Saturday afternoon, Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball fought hard on the road before dropping a 56-53 decision at Alabama State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) contest televised on HBCU GO.
 
Battling both injuries and illness circling around the program, Bethune-Cookman (13-8, 4-4 SWAC) was valiant in its attempt to try and secure a win away from home in the first of two games over the next three days in the state of Alabama. In fact, two of the available players for the Wildcats have averaged less than four minutes per game leading into the weekend.
 
With that said, BCU Head Coach Janell Crayton relied heavily on her starting five – each of whom played more than 35 minutes apiece, respectively.
 
Trailing 46-40 after three quarters, the Wildcats cut the lead at 48-44 on a Chanelle McDonald layup with 5:57 remaining in the contest. After later falling behind 53-47, Bethune-Cookman used back-to-back free throws from Karianna Woods and a layup from Kerrighan Dunn off a Kayla White steal to bring the visitors to within 53-51 with 1:10 left on the clock.
 
BCU had a chance to knot the score at 55-all, but a McDonald layup rimmed out allowing Alabama State's Cordasia Harris to bring down the rebound and convert one of two from the foul line, extending the Hornets lead at 56-53.
 
BCU had the ball with a chance to tie the game with two seconds left, but an inbounds pass appeared to bounce off the knee of a Hornets player. However, officials would stick with the original call on the floor and going off BCU's Woods to close the comeback attempt for the Cats.
 
Alabama State (3-16, 3-5 SWAC) took a 31-25 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
The Hornets shot 38.7 percent from the floor in the opening half, connecting on 5 of 14 shots from three-point range. Defensively, the Hornets limited BCU to just 1-for-8 from beyond the arc and out-rebounded the Wildcats by a 26-20 margin.
 
BCU was limited to just one (1) point off the bench, while ASU scored 27 of their own from the reserves. But it was the Wildcats forcing 21 turnovers from the Hornets, and converting 20 points off those turnovers, while turning the ball over just 12 times themselves.
 
Alabama State was led in scoring by Harris with 18 points and 15 rebounds. April Hooks was also in double-figures scoring for the Hornets with 12 points of her own.
 
Bethune-Cookman was paced in scoring by Kayla White and McDonald with 16 points each, respectively. McDonald completed her double-double as she grabbed down 11 rebounds – five off the offensive glass. White ended the afternoon 2 for 6 from three-point range, as well as collecting seven rebounds and three steals for the Maroon and Gold.
 
The Cats travel to Huntsville, Alabama on Monday, Feb. 5, taking on the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. ET.
 
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